Lemon Law in North Dakota

North Dakota Lemon Law

Purchasing a car, for most, is a financial burden that can also be a somewhat of a gamble. To protect you from being burdened with a manufacturer's mistake, North Dakota's Attorney General maintains a vigilant stance toward enforcing the state's lemon law.

Basically, the North Dakota lemon law allows vehicle manufacturers a reasonable number of attempts to try to fix a major defect before they are required to refund your purchase or replace your defective vehicle.

On this page you'll find information about the general aspects of the North Dakota lemon law and what to do if you end up with a lemon.

If you need legal advice, you should consider contacting an attorney.

North Dakota Lemon Law Criteria

North Dakota's lemon law applies ONLY to new motor vehicles that are still covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

NOTE: The ND lemon law DOES NOT cover motorcycles, motorhomes, or used vehicles.

You can invoke the North Dakota lemon law if your vehicle's defect:

Hinders the vehicle's normal operations.
Makes the vehicle unsafe to drive.
OR
Significantly lowers the market value of the vehicle.

The vehicle will qualify as a lemon if that defect:

Hasn't been fixed after 3 attempts.
OR
Has resulted in the vehicle being kept in the shop for 30 business days or longer for repairs.

If it's been determined that your leased vehicle is a lemon, the law empowers you to be fully reimbursed for all payments and the security deposit. The manufacturer must be made aware of the defect and repair issues within 1 year of the day you bought the vehicle OR before the warranty expires (whichever occurs first).

Your lemon law attorney can help you determine if your vehicle meets the criteria for a lemon under North Dakota law, and, if so, how to proceed with a claim for a refund or replacement.

If you have questions, contact the North Dakota Attorney General's office at (800) 472-2600.

Procedures to Settle a Lemon in North Dakota

Before summoning the Attorney General, first try to square a settlement through the manufacturer's arbitration system.

Many vehicle manufacturers have informal dispute settlement programs. For more information, contact your vehicle's manufacturer or refer to your owner's manual.

If the vehicle manufacturer's informal arbitration program fails to meet your satisfaction, you should hire an attorney and sue. If you choose this option, you must initiate legal action within 6 months of either the warranty's expiration or 18 months of the vehicle being delivered to you originally.

Under state law you have the right to demand for either a new vehicle of similar value, or a full refund on the price you paid.

ND Lemon Law Attorneys

A lemon law attorney can help if you have a new vehicle with a recurring problem. You'll have several details to consider when you choose a lawyer, including their knowledge of the North Dakota lemon law and legal experience.

Before you hire an attorney, you may find it beneficial to talk to a few different lemon law lawyers so that you can hire the one you feel most confident in.

Most lawyers offers a free consultation, during which you can discuss some basic information to better understand how the lemon law attorney can help you.

Consider asking the lawyers about:

Their lemon law experience.
- You can ask if they've handled lemon law or consumer protection cases.
- You may want to ask about their record with lemon law cases.
What you can expect.
- You may find it helpful to know what attorneys can and cannot do for you.
- Find out about the time a lemon law claim can take.
How much it costs.
- Ask lawyers how much they charge, how you can pay, and when you can pay.
- Find out if you'll be expected to cover any additional costs.

Getting basic information from the North Dakota lemon law attorneys you talk to can help you select the lawyer you feel is best to represent you.